Relay 2012 is going to be jam packed with activities and great teams that are going to be bursting at the seams with creative ideas and events. The committee has decided that this year, we are going to put the focus on activities. We wil be trying to centralize them and streamline a little bit. What that really means is that we're going to make it easier for the teams to host and participate in these activites this year. One of the ways that we are going to do this is by having one person in charge of these things. That person is Chris Gonzalez.

We will be putting together a list of activities that everyone can participate in and that we can have teams host. If you're team already has an activity that they are planning, please share with us and let us know if we can help in anyway. I am hoping that we can find some teams which would be wiling to host an activity. I will outline what that means below.

How do I host an activity?

Hosting an activity is very easy. If you already know what the activity is and have planned it before then it's even better. If you don't have something already put together, then we have a list of activities that you could host with your team. The idea being that other teams will get involved but as the host of the event, you will be in charge of making sure the activity goes as planned.

I recently had a meeting with a local business owner who wanted to learn about becoming a sponsor. I got my hands on a sponsorship package and then got oonline to do some research. I thought that I was pretty well prepared but what a surpirse. Its important to ask for help in these types of situations, so i spoke eith our staff partner. I gor some pointers there and off I went.

One of the hardest part of trying to win over a sponser is conveying the message of what is Relay to someone. It's hard to put so any good things into a small paragraph or 5 minute speech. I found the following in some Relay for life documents on the web. It is available via our literature section.

Sponsorship Donation Ask

Would you be willing to join in the fight against cancer by becoming a sponsor for the Relay For Life of (event name)? This 24-hour celebration is a team event to fight cancer. Our Relay For Life will take place on (event dates) at (event locations). A highlight of the event is the Luminaria Ceremony on Saturday evening, a time to remember and honor loved ones that have faced cancer. Glow sticks or candles are placed in bags around the perimeter of the track, in honor or memory of cancer patients.

We invite you and your business to become a partner in making this a successful event. In exchange for your contribution you will receive a variety of benefits including recognition on our event T-shirt. Moreover, as a sponsor for the Relay, you will create an awareness of your commitment to our community and to the fight against cancer. Cancer touches everyone in some way. More than 75 percent of the American Cancer Society dollars are dedicated to research, support for cancer patients and their families, and public education.

A lot of it will fall into place once you start talkimg about it. So make sure you maintain a good pace and be as sincere as possible. Thanks for reading.

Luminaria are probably the most notable item of all when it comes to Relay. So much focus is put them as a tool for both celebration and fundraising. This is for good reason too... the luminaria ceremony is a key event in all Relay's. I can remember that when they first spoke to me about the luminarias, my first thoughts were "I'm going to draw as many as I can!." That year I did the majority of my fundraising through luminaria and I did end up drawing up a storm the day of relay. It was a great experience.

In later relays I feel like luminarias weren't playing as big of a role as they could, at least in southeast cities. Here are a couple of quick and easy ways you can use luminarias to spike up your fundraising meter.

Dan Pinks was a journalist and an author of many books, and he said that people who volunteer their time to create something innovative are actually improving our world. What we are doing is innovating and inspirational, but we do not get any credit because we do not want to get recognized for our work. However, we could uplift another volunteer spirits by admiring their efforts and volunteerism towards this great cause.Acknowledging someone else volunteer work well definitely motivate people to progress and move forward to find “The Cure” for cancer.

If we attempt to participate in events held on the day of “Relay For Life”, we could certify other participants to create activities for the public to enjoy. The more we enjoy a certain thing, the more we want to do it because we get satisfaction out of doing it. Satisfaction is very sacred to us, but we need to achieve satisfaction by putting our efforts towards other peoples activities to encourage motivation for teams . An a way we are creating an incentive for activity creation, who wouldn't want to get a sense of satisfaction? Hell, satisfaction is so important that the Rolling Stones wrote a song describing the lack of satisfaction. We have the drive to improve the atmosphere in “Relay for Life”, create a carnival like feeling for people to enjoy.

From the three years in “Relay For Life”, I have noticed that teams that do not engage in activities seem to dim out of the event and forget to walk around the track. To me participation and involvement in the day of the event is extremely crucial to get teams and their members to stand up and mingle amongst their mates. By participating we create a sense of confidence, we are availed to engage in small talk and explain to each other reasons for volunteering for American Cancer Society (ACS). Confidence leads way for communication, which allows the committee to relay information much faster to teams.

By Pinks logic, if we get more people to get innovative and apply those innovations to increase motivation, we are improving our world in a community effort.

Relay for Life is a life changing experience. There are powerful connections made when you meet cancer survivors or when you identify with fellow caregivers. Heartfelt emotions surface when you remember all those we have lost to such a deadly disease. But, there is also a deep sense of empowerment that comes when, as a relayer, we take a stand and educate the community. We do whatever is in our hands to fight back against this disease. One of the most important ways to fight back is to raise funds for the fight against cancer.

Things to Consider

Organizing a fundraising event can seem a little intimidating but it doesn’t have to be. The key is in preparation. Whether your event is big or small, there are a few things to consider: how much investment will it require? How much return can you realistically expect? How many people are available to help you? Can any items/costs be offset with donations? How much time do you have to plan? What is your budget? Once you answer all these questions, you can begin setting goals and planning your event.

Preparing for your event

One of my favorite fundraising events is a Yard Sale or Garage Sale. This event does not require a large investment so it results in a greater percentage of profit. With this event, however, you will need to put in the required prep work to make sure that you have enough items to sell. The first step is toset a date—this way you give your team and donors a deadline for turning in items. Then have everyone on your team look through their closets, garage, attic, etc for any items that are in a good enough condition to sell. You should alsoask your family members, co-workers, neighbors, etc, for donations. Remember, one person’s old junk could be another persons found treasure. Emphasize the deadline. As a team captain, you mustbeproactive. Sometimes, people are more than willing to make a donation….but, well it slips their mind, they cant find the time, etc. So, what are you to do? Offer to pick up their donation, meet them halfway, send reminder emails. Most importantly, explain the cause that you are working towards,share your passion! Once you have gathered all the items, at some point before the event date, have a group of people help you sift through everything. Make sure nothing is too dirty or too damaged to sell. Discuss possible prices of large “big ticket” items. Separate items into categories to make set-up easier on the day of the event.

With any event, there should be a big focus onmarketing and publicizingyour event. With a yard sale, for example, make sure you have chosen alocationwhere you are allowed to have a yard sale—you don’t want to get fined or even warned. Is that area you selected a visible area with a lot of foot/auto traffic? Will passerbys see your yard sale? Once you have settled on a good location, move on tosignage. With Yard Sales and Garage Sales, clear and visually attractive signage is a MUST. Be sure to post signs in the areas that surround your yard sale location. All signs should include: Date, Address, Arrows (pointing in the correct location). In the days leading up to your event, consider making a fewflyersand ask local storeowners if you can put them up in their stores. Usesocial media: advertise on facebook (status, tags, etc) , sendemails, ask your friends to help you spread the word. And finally, don’t forgo the good old fashionedword of mouth. Tell people about your event. Let them see and feel how committed you are to the cause. Youmay even inspire them to join relay! Don’t forget to notify the relay for life committee of your event so that they can put it on the Relay website and help you send an email blast to all the other relay teams. We like to support each other’s events.

Immediately before the event

Be sure to tie up all loose ends. Do you have bags available to bag stuff? Are your signs made and ready to go? Be sure to delegate tasks ahead of time so that everyone knows what they should be doing. If you will be handling money, do you have change available? Go to the bank, ask for $1 bills and quarters, dimes, etc. Buy any last minute materials, etc.

Day of Event

When the day of your event arrives…be happy and be energetic. Don’t Stress! If you planned well, things will go smoothly. Make sure the event looksclean, neat and presentable. This is important not only because you want to attract people but also because you are representing Relay for Life. Startyour set upearlyand with enough time to beat the crowds. If you have relay gear, wear it. Have information and brochures about ACS and your relay event available to hand out. Don’t be afraid to talk to people. Every relay event is always an opportunity torecruit. Make sure as many team members as possible attend the event. You will need help. Have one or two people in charge of the money. The rest should be out there, being friendly. If it is a warm day, you may even consider selling water, juices, soda, etc. At our event, we even had our youngest team member (10 years old) set up her candy booth. Big Seller!

Post Event

Hopefully your event went well. As long as you have more funds than when you started, consider it a success! Be sure to clean up any area that you used—again, you are representin Relay for Life. Thank all of the people who helped you—including your team members. Take inventory and decide what to do with it. If you have a lot of items left over you may consider having another yard sale in the near future or you may consider donating to an organization like the Salvation Army. Tally up your profit and congratulate your team on a job well done!